Realization
by Angela Cullen
Summary: When Bella realizes Jacob may never grow up, she leaves only to meet the brother of her new best friend,Edward Cullen. Will love blossom between these two, or will Bella realize she was always meant to be with Jacob? AH BXJ. BXE rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

_**As much as I wish I were Stephanie Meyer, and that I owned Twilight, I sadly am not. However, Twilight does own me and I am quite happy with that. I stopped working on my other FF because I don't really know where I want to go with it. But this one, however, came to me one day and I started writing tonight. I'm not sure if it will be BXJ or BXE yet; it may be a lot of back and forth because I feel like Bella does that anyway. AH and I have rated it M because I have a dirty mind and that may come through in later chapters. Please R&R! Thanks **_

"I can't do this anymore! I can't live like this!" I looked in to his deep brown eyes and started to break. If I didn't leave now, I never would and then I'd be stuck here with him forever. It wasn't that I didn't love Jacob, I do, I always will, but at some point he had to grow up, get a job and stop relying on me to pay all of our bills. Until Jacob learned that we would keep getting in to this same argument about money and I would keep crying myself to sleep at Charlie's house in my old bed. I had to get out before it was too late.

"Bells, please listen to me! I've been trying to get a job, but the way the economy is these days it's really hard!" He was pleading both with his voice and with his eyes. "It's not like I'm not trying!" But he wasn't trying, he had been offered jobs by Charlie, filing paperwork at the precinct, which he turned down because he isn't the "office type", the local mechanic offered him a job as an intern and said that he would pay him sixteen dollars and hour, and he turned that down because two years ago he broke his wrist and he claims it has not healed yet. It was becoming unbearable. Everyone wanted to help Jacob out and he wanted no part of it.

With tear filled eyes I looked down to my left hand and began to take off the promise ring that Jake gave me for our two year anniversary. "Every promise… you ever made… you broke it. I gave you everything I had Jake. Everything. And you won't even accept a job offer because you're too lazy!" My voice cracked as I began twirling the ring around. His eyes looked down to my hands and I knew he realized what was happening.

"Please, Bella, don't do this…." Jake's voice started shaking and I could tell he was on the verge of tears. I backed up to the door and braced myself against it, looking up at his eyes as he stood six feet in front of me. The eyes I once looked in to and saw my future, now held nothing for me. I stood there for what seemed like hours searching his face for anything that resembled the Jacob I once knew and I thought back to the day we met.

_Three Years Earlier_

"Mike, I am going crazy here! We haven't had a customer in at least three hours, can we PLEASE close up already!" I had been working for Newton's Automotive Supply for a little over six months and for the past three months business had been pretty bad. It was too slow today to even make enough money for my paycheck and I felt bad that we were still open, knowing that the Newton's were losing money because of it.

"I can't close down without talking to my dad first, Bella. You know that! I'll give him a call and see if we can close down early. I'm going to take a fifteen minute break and give him a call, after that you are free to go home. I don't think I'll need you here to clean up or anything tonight." Mike flashed what I guessed was supposed to be a reassuring and slightly flirtatious smile at me, "Unless, of course, you want to stay and keep me company." He winked as he walked off. I was SO ready to be out of here and away from Mike. At least when Tyler was working he wasn't constantly hitting on me.

As soon as Mike went for his break a group of guys walked in, and I guessed by the way they looked they had come from the Quillette reservation just outside of town. I had never seen any of them before but almost immediately after they walked through the door I noticed him. He was nearly a foot taller than me, at least 6'3" and unlike his friends his hair was long, it reached his collar bone, black and silky, I could almost imagine myself running my fingers through it. "I'll just be a few minutes guys; I have to see if they have my parts in!" He called back to his friends who had begun wandering through the store. If I didn't know any better I could have sworn they were going to rob me, but this was a small town and everyone knew my father was the police chief, in fact, everyone knew EVERYONE in Forks.

The boy approached me at the register. "Hey, I have some parts that were supposed to be ordered for me about two weeks ago. I just wanted to check and see if they were in yet." He was so beautiful I think I forgot how to speak. I had to mentally slap myself just to muster up something to say back to him. _Be professional, Bella. Remember you're at work._

"Name?" I smiled back at him coyly. I'd never been so attracted to anyone in my entire life and I had never had to flirt with anyone, ever.

"Jacob Black." He ran his fingers through his long, dark hair and once again I pictured myself doing just that to him. _Dammit Bella, snap out of it and do your job!_ I typed his name in to the screen to pull up his order, his parts were in so now I'd have to run to the store room and Mike was no where to be found. It's not customary to leave the front unattended but like I said before, everyone knows everyone in Forks, and now I had his name so surely Charlie would be able to track him down if he stole anything from Newton's. "Well, Jacob, it seems as if your parts are in but they are in the store room right now. I'll have to run back and grab them. Can I trust you boys to stay here and not make any trouble for me while I am gone?" I smiled at him in the most flirtatious manner I could muster.

"Absolutely, I think you'll find I am a very good boy… when I want to be." He winked at me and I could feel that familiar blush rise to my face.

"Well, Mister Black, I'll be right back then." I walked to the store room and tried to regain my breath. No one had EVER made me feel this way before. Sure I'd been embarrassed, and many times I had flirted to get my way but I had never wanted so badly to touch someone, to flirt with someone just because I thought they were unbelievably gorgeous before. I searched the shelves and found the boxes that had his name on them and returned to the front counter. Jacob's friends had joined him at the counter now and I rounded the corner back to them. "Here you go! It's going to be Fifty four even." He turned to face me and flashed a gorgeous smile my way. He pulled out his card and handed it to me.

"You know, Bella. I like when you give me numbers, perhaps I could get yours?" He winked at me and all of his friends started smirking. I could feel myself blush as I swiped his card.

"You think you're rather smooth, don't you Mister Black? Coming in here and asking for my number like you probably do to every female working in a man's world. Some other time, maybe. Not today." I pulled the store copy of the receipt from the printer and handed it to him, "Sign, please." He looked utterly defeated and leaned down to sign the receipt.

"Sorry, dude. That was harsh, we'll meet you outside." One of the guys said smacking him on the back as the other two boys walked out the front door of the store, he followed. Jacob leaned down to sign the store copy and I pulled off his copy and scribbled my number on to it before he looked up.

"Oh, I don't need my copy, thanks." He pushed the signed receipt towards me and picked up the box.

"I think you may want this one," I pushed the receipt towards him and turned back towards the break room where Mike was now coming from.

"Bella, it's all taken care of, you head home, I'll close up!" I leaned down to grab my purse and I heard the jingle of the door being opened. _Goodbye, Jacob. _I thought as I picked up my cell phone, which was now lit up from an incoming call. "Hello?" I answered not expecting what was on the other end.

"That was a mean joke to play on such an innocent boy, Bella." Jacob.

"I don't know what you mean. Who is this?" Act oblivious, make him work for it.

"I'm just saying I think you should make it up to me somehow. Putting me down in front of my friends has really hurt my self esteem. And since you're now heading toward the door, how about you and I go get dinner?"

I walked out the front door of Newton's, about to respond when a tall, dark and handsome man stepped in front of me. "So, how about it?" He smiled down at me and I couldn't resist.

"Alright, I suppose that WAS mean. But don't think that just because I'm giving in to this that I want anything more than one date with you, Mister Black. I'm only doing this so your friends over there don't think you'd get turned down by the same girl in one day." I smiled back up at him and he held out his arm to me.

"Shall we, Bella?" I took his arm and he led me down to diner that I often had dinner with Charlie at. Then, Jacob Black and I had our first official date, while all of his friends watched from a table in the back of the café that they obviously thought I couldn't see.

_Back to the present_

"Jake, I love you. I can't do this. Nothing I say makes you motivated to go out there and get a job. I can't will you to help pay the bills, I can't work more hours because I need to go to class, too and I can't ask for another raise because sooner or later you have to realize that it takes two people to make a home, not just one who pays for all the food, the rent, the cell phones, the cable, and the electricity! I can't, Jake. I'm not strong enough any more." I slid the ring off of my finger and set in on the side table by the door. "I'm so sorry." I opened the door and dragged my suitcase full of clothes out on to the patio. I shut the door behind me and headed for my car.

I sat in the driver's seat of my car, hoping Jake wouldn't chase after me, and that I could have a moment of peace before facing Charlie, again. I closed my eyes as silent tears started falling from my eyes. Sooner or later Jacob Black would realize just what he had lost. Sooner or later he would realize that he had to stop acting like a child and take responsibility for us. Hopefully he would realize it sooner, because later may be too late. With that, I turned the key and started my car. I backed out of my parking space at the apartment complex and headed down the street. As much as my mind urged me not to, my heart made me look in the rear view mirror to see a tall, dark haired boy standing in my parking stop, urging me to come back and make things right again. But things cannot be right again. Things will not be right again, sooner or later Jacob Black would realize that.


	2. Chapter 2

There was no way on earth I could face Charlie looking the way I did. My eyes were bloodshot and the mascara I spent so long applying this morning was now running down my face. My cheeks were flushed bright red underneath the black streaks of mascara and my chest was pink and splotchy from the intensity of my tears. No, I could not see Charlie tonight. So, I drove to the only person I knew would take me in; Angela.

Angela was the sweetest girl in all of Forks, that and she would never gossip to or about anyone, so I knew this break up would be kept secret as long as no one saw me heading to her house. I pulled in to the driveway behind her cherry red 07 Ford Focus, and noticed that Ben's dark blue Toyota pickup was parked on the street behind me. Shit. I grabbed my cell from my bag and sent a text to Angela

_Ang, I have a 911. I know Ben is here but can we talk?_

I waited about two minutes when I saw the living room light click on and Angela appeared at her front door holding Ben's hand, a reassuring smile plastered on both their faces. If there was one thing I loved about Ben and Angela, they always seemed so happy and so right for each other, and they both knew how to make me feel better when I was this upset. I attempted to wipe the mascara from my cheeks to no avail, slid out of my truck and made my way to the front door.

When I finally got to the porch both Ben and Angela hugged me, and Ben placed a sweet kiss on the top of my forehead, just like a brother would do, at least I that's what a brother might do (I wouldn't know, I never had one). We walked inside and Angela led me to the couch while Ben went in to the kitchen, grabbing the gallon of ice cream they kept in the freezer just for me.

"So, Bella, what happened this time?" Angela leaned towards me as I leaned towards the gallon of neopolitan ice cream and dug in to the strawberry side.

"Same thing that always happens. It started out innocent enough; I was sitting at the kitchen table writing a check to the landlord, and the cell phone company when Jacob came home with Sam, Seth and Embry. They were joking around and Jacob grabbed each of them a beer from the fridge and they watched the UW basketball game. Jacob didn't even acknowledge I was there! He just came in, took out the beers that I bought and started watching the t.v. that I pay for and didn't even give me a kiss as he passed me to get to or from the kitchen. It was ridiculous, so I stood up and stomped back to the bedroom, which he also didn't pay any mind to." I had managed to get all of this out in anger so I hadn't started to cry just yet. I looked at Angela who was still giving me a reassuring smile on top of a look of sympathy. She and I had this conversation more than a few times the past year, and it always ended the same way; I would sit here on the couch and eat my gallon of ice cream, she'd listen to me bitch and Ben would wander off to give us some alone time. Angela was silently urging me to continue so I obliged.

"Well, he finally told the guys he should probably be getting to bed and by that time I had already packed up my things for the next few days and I was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting until he came in. I told him I was tired of him treating me like his mother, like some woman that he just happened to live with that paid for everything for him while he went out and did who knows what, who knows where with his friends." I finished telling Angela what exactly was said during our argument and told her that I gave him his promise ring back, because he everything he had promised me he had taken away.

I lay down on Angela's lap and she ran her fingers through my hair in order to calm me down, only my best friend would know that this was the way to relax me when I had a bad day. "I think I'm really done this time, Ang. I don't think I can go through this again and he hasn't changed! He promised he would, he promised me that we would get through everything life threw at us and that we would do everything together. Lately, I have been doing everything alone, getting through everything alone. Life has thrown me a lot of shit and he has been no where near me." I opened my eyes to see that Ben had already come in and taken the ice cream from the table and was now sitting across the room in a chair in the corner, a small lamp illuminated behind him, book in hand. Ben really was the perfect man.

I looked up at Angela who was starting to fall asleep on the couch, her head cocked slightly to the side so that she could close her eyes and not topple over. I sat up quietly and walked over to sit on the floor by Ben's feet. "What are you reading, Ben?"

He smiled down at me, "I'm just reading my psych book, trying to study for my mid-term."

"Angela is really tired. You should probably carry her up to bed. You don't mind if I sleep on the couch again do you?" I already knew the answer and was reassured by him nodding his head.

"You know you are always welcome to our couch. I'll take Angela up to bed and then I can grab your stuff from the truck, alright?" And with that Ben stood up and walked over to Angela, gently picking her up bridal style and carrying her up the stairs. A twinge of jealousy came over me when I realized that Jacob had not carried me to bed in over a year. Ever since he gave me this promise ring Jacob Black started treating me more like his keeper than his girlfriend. Ben came back downstairs and walked outside. He came back in moments later with my suitcase full of stuff and set it down beside the couch. "Bella, I'm not really tired yet, would you like to stay up and talk? You don't have to but I have a slight dilemma and I would really appreciate your opinion." Ben's eyes pleaded with me and I knew I could never tell him no. If Ben would allow me to come over at un-Godly hours of the night, sleep on his couch and steal his girlfriend's attention from him, then I would give him an opinion on anything he had to ask. I stole away just for a moment to wash my face and when I came back he had my make shift bed made up on the couch and was sitting in the chair just next to where the pillow was placed. I sat down near that end of the couch and waited for Ben to come back.

Ben walked in to the room holding a small box and I knew immediately what he wanted my opinion on. He sat in the small chair and held it out to me. "I'm guessing you know what this is…" He seemed to shy away from what he wanted to ask, and Ben was never shy around me. I took the box from his hand and opened it up to reveal a simple princess cut diamond engagement ring with a beautiful platinum band. (**a/n picture in profile).**

"If you are asking if you should propose to Angela, yes. You two have been together for three years, you are more than in love and you already own a house together, Ben, you may as well already be married!" I smiled widely at him, beaming with happiness for my best friend, enough happiness to mask the pain I was feeling. "Ben, Angela will always love you, you will always have her heart. Do it, Ben, but make sure it is perfect, make sure it is everything she ever wanted, and when you promise her forever, make sure you mean every word you say." A single tear rolled down my cheek and I was unsure if it was a tear for them because I was so happy, or a tear for me because I realized they have everything I could never have with Jake. I pulled Ben in to a hug and told him to go up and go to bed, lay with his future fiancé, and future bride.

I lay down on the couch, letting my head finally hit the pillow, my eyes to dry to cry any more tears for Jacob Black. I rolled over on top of the pillow and heard a crunching sound come from under my pillow case. I fished inside the pillow case and pulled out a letter. _Isabella_ waswritten in Jacob's handwriting on the front. As much as my heart yearned for me to read the letter I walked over to the shredder in Ben's office area and placed the letter inside. _No more, Jake. No. More._


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it has taken MONTHS to update, a few of you have asked me if I have given up, I assure you I haven't! Thanks for putting me on alert though, and now that it's summer I will be sure to update a lot more often! Hopefully I'll get more followers soon! And now, a word from Jake.**

**Jacob Black:**

She left. She's fucking _gone_ and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. As soon as she shut the door my heart dropped, I wanted to run outside, catch her by the hand, pull her to me and show her why we have been together this long, show her that I love her. I wanted everything to be perfect again.

Why did I let it get so fucked up between us? If I would have just taken the jobs I'd been offered, who cares what I thought about them? I needed a job and not having one made me lose my Bella, _my _Bella. I'd have to prove myself before I ever got her back. I was hoping tonight she would reach around and realize I left her a long letter in her pillowcase, but with my luck it would just end up in the shredder, or the garbage or something.

Fuck I hope she doesn't go to Charlie's, he would tell Dad what a deadbeat I have become and I would never hear the end of it. Bella was my Juliet, and to the end of time I would love her, no matter what.

I made my way, slowly, over to the side table I kept by the door for her keys, she was always losing them and so I put the table there for her to drop them off before she came inside. She would still forget that she put them there, all the time, and I had to always remind her of where they were. I picked up the tiny silver band and held it to the light. _Wolfy and Bells, Always_. I slid it on to my pinky finger, it just barely made it to the first knuckle, she always did have tiny hands, and rushed to the bedroom to find the box it came in. I opened the top dresser drawer and grabbed the box, placing the ring gently inside. _Some day you will wear my ring again Bella, I'll prove to you I'm worthy of you love_. I thought, as I placed the box back in to the dresser.

I made my way around the house, it seemed so empty without her here, and it was also a complete mess. How did I never take the time to realize that she was so busy! I am such an idiot for thinking that she could handle school, working full time and taking care of my lazy ass. I found myself in the kitchen, where the dishes were piled high and the garbage bags from the past month were sitting next to the door, waiting to be taken to the dumpster.

Step one to getting Bella back: Clean the house, and keep it fucking clean.

I worked from about midnight until 9 a.m. the next morning. The house was spotless, not one thing out of place, I even dusted behind the pictures, careful to place every picture Bella had placed in our apartment exactly where she liked it, lined everything up perfectly and found a spare frame, which I placed my favorite picture of Bella and I in; the one we had taken on our second anniversary, right after I gave her the ring. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

_One Year Ago…_

"Jake we've got to get going! We're going to be late for our picnic with Ben and Angela!" She smiled at me, I was running late because I was frantically searching the room for her ring.

"One sec, babe! I've got to grab something, just take the basket and put it in your truck and wait for me, I'll be right there!" She came in to the room to give me a kiss, and when she turned around I smacked her ass. She gasped and turned around to look at me, I winked and it made her giggle, her perfect breasts slightly moving with her tiny, breathy laughs. "You're beautiful when you smile, Bells." I grabbed her to me and kissed her, running my tongue along her perfect, full bottom lip, nibbling a bit as I released her. "We'll get back to this later, I promise" I breathed in to her mouth. She looked in to my eyes with her perfect chocolate pools, full of love and lust. "I'll be right out!" I turned her by her shoulders and gave her a playful shove out of the bedroom and watched her magnificent ass as she walked out the door. I gave a heavy sigh; she is the most perfect woman alive.

I hurried back to the bathroom and opened my cabinet, smacking my head at the sight of the red velvety box that I left in there. _Such an idiot, its right where you put it! _I rushed out the front door and jumped in the passenger seat of Bella's truck, shoving the ring box in my pocket before she saw it. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and she frantically pulled out of the driveway and headed down to the reservation to meet our friends.

We pulled in to the parking lot at the beach and saw Angela and Ben making out in his truck. She laughed, jumping down from her truck, rushing to the window of Ben's truck and banging frantically on it. He turned, and probably had the shit scared of out him when he saw her face pressed against the glass. Angela, sitting in the seat next to him burst out laughing. I grabbed the picnic basket and handed it to Ben, who had gotten out of the truck and started walking toward me. "I need you to take a picture for us in about five seconds man, I've got something I'm giving to Bella and I know she'll want to remember this moment for a long time." I winked his way and he smiled knowingly.

"Alright, Jake, let's get down to the beach first, so I have a free hand to take a picture with!" He shoved my shoulder.

I grabbed the blanket from the bed of Bella's truck and we headed down to the beach.

The sun was out, and Bella desperately wanted to play after the lunch we had. Sandwiches, beer and cheesecake, the perfect picnic. "Bella, before you go down there I've got something for you!" I looked at Ben who had grabbed the camera an hour before and had been taking pictures of all of us together already. He smiled my way and nodded and I knew now was my chance. I pulled Bella to her feet from the blanket and we walked away from Angela and Ben a few feet before I gathered the courage to pull the ring from my pocket.

Bella's eyes widened at the sight of the box, she couldn't take her eyes off of it. I opened it slowly, letting her eyes rest on the ring inside. "It's not really… err… I mean… I'm not proposing or anything Bells, but I wanted to give you this… I promise with every fiber of my being, that for the rest of my life I will always be your equal partner, and you will always be mine. I promise we will never go hungry or cold; I promise that no matter what I will love you and support you whenever you need me. If… you know, if you want?" I lifted her chin with the knuckles of my right hand, locking eyes with her, she was getting teary. I reached down and grabbed her left hand, slipping the ring in to place on her ring finger. She leapt in to my arms and planted a kiss on my lips that was full of love and adoration, I closed my eyes but I could make out the flash of a camera. _Perfect timing, Ben. _I thought as I dropped the box and grabbed Bella's ass to hold her in place s she wrapped her legs around me.

The rest of the day the four of us laughed, swam, played chicken in the water, played Frisbee and did all of the cliché shit you normally do a the beach. It was perfect.

_Present Time_

Isabella Swan, I am going to make it up to you. Every promise I broke, every lie I told, every time I took your for granted, I am going to make it up to you. I'll give you your space but sooner or later, when I've got my shit together I am going to make you see that we belong together, that I will always be yours and no one else's. I love you Bells, always.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bella's POV**

It had been exactly three months since I had last seen Jacob. My mind keeps creeping back to the note he wrote me, and I will probably always wonder what it said. For three months Jacob has been M.I.A. He hasn't called, or texted or tried to e-mail me, nothing.  
I lay in bed and stared at the white ceiling of my bedroom at Charlie's house thinking about nothing and everything when a familiar buzz was sounding by my right hand. I reached down and picked up my cell phone, part of me hoping it was Jacob. The name read "Alice", damn. The distraction was a welcome one but part of me was really hoping it was Jake.

"Bella! Finally you answer!" The cheerful voice of my new, single girl friend rang from the other end of the line. After the engagement Angela's whole world started revolving around Ben, and I met Alice at work one day, she was shopping for parts for her Porsche.

"Hey Al, what's up?"

"We're going out tonight! Get your ass up and showered, I'll handle the rest. There's a place in Seattle I have been dying to go dancing at and you HAVE to come with!"

"Alice, you know that I hate dancing, and as far as clubs go… well I haven't ever really been too fond of them either…"

"Get out of bed, I'm on my way!" Did she not hear me tell her that I wasn't going with?

She must have some seriously evil plot running through that little pixie head of hers.

Before I could state a rebuttal the line went dead. There really was no arguing with Alice, she always won.

I got up and hopped in the shower, rinsing away the smell of oil and car wash, air fresheners and grease, the smell that reminds me of Ja- NO! I'm not going to go there.

I got out of the shower, wrapped my towel around myself, and headed toward my room, my hair laying on my shoulders, soaking wet and dripping all over the floor between my bathroom and bedroom. When I got to my room there was a simple black dress laying across my bed, with red high heels on the floor below it, accessories and a new handbag lay next to it. Alice had been here, but where was she now? A minute later my question was answered when my best friend flew from the closet and tackled me in a hug. "Bella! I've got the beauty station all set up! Go have a seat and I'll get to work. We haven't got long; we need to leave the house in an hour so I'll have to make quick work of you!" I wanted so bad to tell her off and say I was perfectly capable of getting myself ready but the next thing I knew, I was sitting in a wooden chair, with a curling iron to my hair, smoky eyes and that little black dress on.

"All finished! Let me go change and we can head out!" Alice glided to my closet, and came back out about a minute later looking stunning, as always, in her red dress and classy accessories.

"How do you do that?"

"What?"

"Get ready at lightning speed?"

Alice giggled at me, grabbed my hand and pulled me downstairs. Charlie smiled at me as we sprang through the front door, but I swear I heard him say something like "have fun tonight" although I can't be sure because the next thing I know I am in Alice's car and we are in Seattle already.

Alice paid the valet at the hotel to pull her car around making sure to give him a wink and I swear the poor boy nearly fainted at the sight of her. Apparently, we were staying here tonight. "I know you're thinking about how you can afford this, but don't. It's on Daddy tonight! I told him what was going on with you and how you never have fun anymore and he told me he was funding everything, so come on! Let's go." Alice smiled at me the sweet smile that no one says no to, and pulled me down the street toward the club.

After about an hour of cocktails and men staring uncontrollably at us, Alice stood up. "I'm ready to dance!" Ugh, dancing. As soon as Alice mentioned it a line of hunky men formed by her side. "Sorry, boys, but you'll all have to wait, there's someone waiting for my first dance." Alice made her way through the line of disappointed faces to the dance floor where she met up with a handsome, dirty blonde. She wrapped her tiny hand around his, and spun him away from the girl he was dancing with to face her. His face lit up immediately and he pulled her in to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they began to have a moment so intimate I felt bad watching. Did she know this guy? And if so, why did she never tell me about him before tonight? She looked up my way and winked, but I wasn't sure if it was at me or someone else, but who else could it be?

I figured I had put it off long enough and I began to make my way down to Alice and the mystery man on the dance floor. As soon as I set foot on the dance floor I felt a pair of muscular hands on my hips. "Can I have this dance, beautiful?" I turned to face the man who had his hands on me and realized exactly who was behind me. James. In high school he was the jock, and I was a complete book worm, meaning his life was made better by making mine Hell. My heart sank and the realization set in, he smirked.

"Ahh… Bella, good to see you! My offer still stands, wanna dance?" I didn't know what to say, I was at a complete loss for words and I just kept staring at him, tears welling in my eyes remembering the last time I saw him, remembering the old, worn-out, leather bound copy of Wuthering Heights being dropped in to the fountain at school, and the smudged letters and soaking pages. "James, I-I-" "She was saving this one for me." Suddenly a velvety voice broke my trance, stopping the tears from falling and I came face to face with the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

Hazel eyes met mine, and a gorgeous smile gleamed back at me. "Well, sorry then. See ya around, Bella." James sauntered off and the vision of Adonis stared back at me.

"Thank you. Not many people would be so willing to help. I'm Bella."

"I know who you are Bella, Alice talks about you all the time. I'm Edward, Ally's older brother."

"Oh, you mean Edward from UW? She talks about you all the time. What brings you here tonight?"

"Well, right now, a dance from the most beautiful girl here." I felt a familiar blush creep up to my cheeks as Edward grabbed my hand. I looked toward Alice who was smiling over the shoulder of the mystery man and she smiled back at me and winked.  
"Al always said you were beautiful, but she was truly mistaken. I don't blame her though, there is no way she could have described you in a way that would justify your beauty." I smiled up at Edward, and he pulled me close to him, instinctively I wrapped my arms around his neck as his hands slid down my sides and landed square on my hips. I slipped my legs between his as the songs beat changed and we began to grind against each other. I lost myself in the song and in his eyes as his hands stroked at my back and my body relaxed and I closed my eyes, feeling the music and Edward and the ecstasy of it all. I hadn't been this calm and this happy in a long time.

The song ended abruptly and Edward pulled back. I felt the beginnings of a glisten of sweat on my forehead and saw the completely animalistic look in his eyes, like he wanted to devour me right then and there. He leaned in close and whispered in to my ear, "Perhaps we need a break. I need a drink." He took my hand and led me to the bar where Alice was sitting with the same guy, half way through a cocktail that he obviously paid for. She jumped from her seat and lunged at Edward, wrapping her arms around his neck and screaming with joy. "Oh, Eddie I missed you!" Edward laughed in an almost childlike way and set her back down. "I see you've met Bella!" She smirked at Edward and then looked back at me, "Bella, this is Jasper! He was just telling me about his trip to Mexico! He stayed there for like, six months living on the beach and building houses for the less fortunate! Is that not the most selfless thing you have ever heard?" Jasper smiled and held out his hand to me. "Nice to meet you, Bella. Alice hasn't stopped mentioning your name since I met her tonight." He laughed whole-heartedly and placed his arm back around Alice's waist. The four of us spent the rest of the evening drinking, dancing and sharing stories of our lives.

Three hours passed before I was too exhausted to even think about another dance or another drink. Edward offered to walk me back to the hotel so Alice could stay out longer with Jasper, and told her he would come back later to pick her up. When we got to the hotel Edward helped me to stand in the elevator and walk to the room Alice's dad booked for us. "Can you make it inside okay?" Edward stared down at me, a mix between concern and lust. "I don't know. Can you walk me in just in case?" Edward's eyes changed in that instant from concern to pure lust, as he slid the key card in to the door and helped me inside. Just inside the doorway Edward stopped us both, and pressed his body to mine against the wall. He placed his hand on my face and lifted my mouth to meet his and placed his lips on mine. He licked my lip, begging for entrance, and I happily complied. Our tongues intertwined as we explored each other's mouths his hand moved from my face down my side as he pinned my body closer to the wall, grabbing my leg and wrapping it around his waist, doing the same with my other leg until my weight was completely supported by him. I slipped my hands around his head and pulled his face closer to mine. Our breathing got heavier and heavier, his hands on my ass holding me up, mine behind his head, hoping he'd never let go. Edward pulled away, "Are you sure this is okay, Bella?"

"Mmhmm" was all I could manage to reply as he removed me from the wall and walked with me across the room, laying me on the bed. His body lie on top of mine grinding himself against me in the most delicious way, kissing my neck, and sucking on the skin above my collar bone. I moaned in pleasure at the feeling of someone wanting me again as my hand searched down his hard abs to the top of his jeans, I slipped the tops of my fingers in to his jeans before he grabbed my hand and stopped me. "No, Bella we can't do this. Not now." My eyes began to fill with tears. "I-I… I don't understand. Am I not pretty enough? You don't- You don't **want** me?"

"No. No that's not it, Bella. I want you. Oh… how I want you. But not now, not tonight. You're drunk; you're not thinking straight right now." The tears started to stream down my face. "You don't want me!" I screamed at Edward, I had never felt so rejected in all my life. "Bella, go to sleep, sweetheart. I promise, I do want you. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? We just, we can't do this right now. Like I said, you're drunk, and in a few hours my sister will be here. I can't sleep with you now. You deserve the best and there is no way I can give that to you in our current state." My chest started heaving with sobs, and the tears would not stop coming. Edward began to wipe them away and kissed my cheek. "Bella, I am going to stay with you, and hold you until you fall asleep. Alright? Then I am going to go get Alice, and tomorrow morning when you are hung over and don't want anything to do with food, I'll pick you two up and the three of us can go have breakfast, okay?" I stared up at Edward, who was still pressing his length against my thigh, it was straining against the denim of his jeans and he didn't seem to mind. He genuinely cared about this being okay for me, and suddenly the tears stopped.

With a weak voice I replied, "Okay. But I want pancakes. Don't let me have anything tomorrow until I get pancakes." Edward chuckled and placed a kiss against my neck, then my cheek, my nose and finally, a sweet, chaste kiss upon my lips. And true to his word, he held me until I fell asleep.


End file.
